The present invention relates to the field of archery, and more particularly, to the field of bows and associated methods.
Archery equipment, namely bows, can generally be divided into two separate fields, simple bows 90, i.e., traditional long bows, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and compound bows. Compound bows are designed to provide a greater effective draw length than simple bows and therefore allow an arrow to be fired faster and farther than when fired from a simple bow. Simple bows 90 generally include a grip member 96 that is positioned midway between the upper arm 92 and the lower arm 94 of the simple bow 90. Simple bows 90 are therefore disadvantageous because they cannot be used to fire arrows at targets positioned at great distances. Simple bows can also disadvantageously add difficulty to the targeting process. Simple bows that are designed to fire arrows at greater speeds generally include draw strings having greater tensions. This disadvantageously makes the process of extending, i.e., pulling back, the draw string very difficult.
Simple bows have become somewhat developed to account for some difficulties encountered with targeting such as twisting of an arrow when fired. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,883 titled xe2x80x9cArchery Bowxe2x80x9d by Meyer discloses a bow having recurved limbs. The archery bow disclosed in Meyer, however, is still cumbersome and still only provides mediocre firing ranges that are similar to traditional simple bows.
Compound bows, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,488 titled xe2x80x9cArchery Device with Separate Bending and Launching Bowstrings and Front End Arrow Launchxe2x80x9d by Bozek can be very cumbersome, i.e., extremely long and heavy, and can also be very complicated to use. Compound bows can also be very expensive. Further, if an owner of a simple bow decides to purchase a compound bow, that owner often no longer has any use for the simple bow.
With the foregoing in mind, the present invention advantageously provides a high impact bow system, a high impact bow, and associated methods for firing an elongate arrow at an increased rate of travel. The present invention also advantageously provides conversion of a simple bow, i.e., traditional long bow, into a compound bow. The high impact bow is advantageously simple and uncomplicated to use and is also light in weight. The high impact bow system of the present invention provides the advantages of a compound bow, i.e., allows for faster and farther travel of an elongate arrow, while still providing the advantageous simplicity and light weight use of a simple bow.
More particularly, the present invention provides a high impact bow system for firing an elongate arrow. The high impact bow system preferably includes a high impact bow having a grip member. The grip member preferably includes an upper end portion and a lower end portion positioned substantially opposite the upper end portion. The high impact bow also preferably includes an upper arm extending outwardly from the upper end portion of the grip member. The upper arm has a distal end portion and a first predetermined length. The high impact bow further preferably includes a lower arm extending outwardly from the lower end portion of the grip member. The lower arm likewise has a distal end portion and a second predetermined length that is substantially shorter than the first predetermined length of the upper arm to thereby define the upper arm as a longer upper arm and the lower arm as a shorter lower arm. The high impact bow also preferably includes a draw string connected to the distal end portions of the longer upper arm and the shorter lower arm. The high impact bow system further preferably includes an elongate arrow adapted to be fired at a high rate of travel from the high impact bow.
The present invention also advantageously includes a high impact bow for firing an elongate arrow at a high rate of travel. The high impact bow preferably includes a grip member having an upper end portion and a lower end portion positioned substantially opposite the upper end portion. The high impact bow also preferably includes an upper arm extending outwardly from the upper end portion of the grip member. The upper arm preferably includes a distal end portion and a first predetermined length. The high impact bow further preferably includes a lower arm extending outwardly from the lower end portion of the grip member. The lower arm preferably includes a distal end portion and a second predetermined length that is substantially shorter than the first predetermined length of the upper arm. The high impact bow further preferably includes a draw string connected to the respective distal end portions of the upper arm and the lower arm.
The present invention also advantageously includes a high impact bow for firing an elongate arrow having a first bow including a grip member having an upper end portion and a lower end portion positioned substantially opposite the upper end portion. The first bow also includes an upper arm extending outwardly from the upper end portion of the grip member and a lower arm extending outwardly from the lower end portion of the grip member. The upper and lower arms include distal end portions. The first bow further includes a primary draw string connected to the respective distal end portions of the upper and lower arms. The high impact bow also preferably includes a first connector portion positioned adjacent the grip member along a medial body portion of the first bow, a second bow having a medial body portion, an upper arm extending at a first predetermined angle outwardly from the medial body portion and including a distal end portion, and a lower arm extending at a second predetermined angle outwardly from the medial body portion and having a distal end portion positioned substantially opposite the distal end portion of the upper arm. The second bow also preferably includes a second connector positioned adjacent the medial body portion and adapted to matingly engage the first connector positioned adjacent the grip member of the first bow. The high impact bow further preferably includes a pair of compound draw strings. The first one of the pair of compound draw strings is an upper compound draw string connected between the respective distal end portions of the respective upper arms of the first and second bow. The second one of the pair of compound draw strings preferably is a lower compound draw string connected between the respective distal end portions of the respective lower arms of the first and second bow so that the combination of the first and second bows form a compound bow.
The present invention still further advantageously includes a method of firing an elongate arrow from a high impact bow. The method preferably includes gripping a high impact bow along a lower portion of the body thereof. The method also preferably includes engaging the elongate arrow with a draw string of the high impact bow, and pulling the draw string back along the lower portion of the body of the high impact bow so that the draw string can be drawn further than if drawn from a medial portion of the body of the high impact bow.
The present invention also advantageously includes a method of using a high impact bow. The method preferably includes matingly connecting a first connector of a first bow to a second connector of a second bow, and connecting respective distal end portions of respective upper and lower arms of the respective first and second bows with respective upper and lower compound draw strings.
The present invention advantageously allows a user, i.e., an archer, to draw an elongate arrow further back with a draw string than is possible with a traditional simple bow. This advantageously allows an elongate arrow to be fired faster and farther than a traditional arrow fired from a simple bow. The present invention is also economically advantageous because it allows a user to convert a simple bow into a compound bow, thereby eliminating the need for purchasing a compound bow.